Star Wars Episode 7: Slam Dunk
by Inks the Same
Summary: Beware.Its the Slam Dunk characters in the Star Wars universe. Need I say more?


Disclaimer: SD and SW do not belong to me, although if I would change that I could.  
  
A/N: This is a Star Wars/Slam Dunk crossover so if you don't know the SW terms just ask and I shall answer.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The suns were setting and an orange and red glow spread over the city planet of Coruscant, capital of The Republic. The light from the twin suns illuminated the huge windows encasing the Jedi Temple stationed on the planet and a mottled glow fell on a particular training room where two Jedi apprentices were practicing.  
  
"You'll never defeat me! I am a genius!" laughed one padawan apprentice, as he jumped high above his opponent in a somersault.  
  
The other apprentice just watched his opponent with keen eyes and felt the Force flow through him. Predicting moves was his specialty and he fully intended to take advantage of his opponent's groundless overconfidence.  
  
Ice blue eyes closed for a moment before the padawans darker blue lightsaber jumped out in a sudden attack. The blue blade was met with a deep purple one, which barely managed to defend the swift assault. The two glowing blades mixed eerily with the sunset in a complicated twirl. Blade met blade in parries, thrusts and blocks, each attack met with the proper defense. The blue and purple glow from the sabers lit up the faces of the two padawans, one face expressionless and the other fiercely passionate. Soon though, one padawan grew impatient, and in a Force aided leap he carried himself over to the back of his stoic opponent and presented his purple lightsaber to the other's back. However the other padawan's blue blade intercepted this attack and with a flick of the wrist and a nimble swivel the purple lightsaber flew out of a hand and clattered to the floor, the blade disappearing.  
  
A small hint of a smile touched the lips of Padawan Rukawa Kaede, his blue blade almost touching Hanamichi Sakuragi's nose. "Your defense has not improved since we last fought." He said slowly, not moving his lightsaber.  
  
"You cannot win with defense, Rukawa, you must attack!" the redheaded Sakuragi answered back hotly.  
  
"I suppose that philosophy is what inspired you to victory?" Rukawa said, finally closing his saber inches away from Sakuragi's face and attaching the hilt to his belt.  
  
Sakuragi blushed. "One day I will beat you! Just you wait!" he exclaimed glaring at the stoic boy.  
  
"I just defeated you and you still ask for more humiliation? You are truly an idiot." Rukawa said snidely, walking to the water dispenser for a drink.  
  
"What did you call me?! You little gundark! How dare you walk away from this genius? You stupid--"  
  
Hanamichi Sakuragi's rant was interrupted by a huge Force presence familiar to both padawans, an overpowering sense that could only belong to one of their teachers... Jedi Master Akagi. At the same time both young men felt the Master's presence, a huge shadow emerged from the doorway of the practice room.  
  
"Padawan Sakuragi Hanamichi" a loud deep voice boomed out from the doorway as a humongous man entered the room. Powerful in the Force and in equally powerful in muscular build, the Master was raised by a Corellian strongman who taught him the art of intimidation, an art he perfected by puberty.  
  
"Yes Master Akagi?" a timid voice answered, Sakuragi was cowed by the glare Master Akagi was giving him.  
  
"Master Yoda summons you to appear before the Jedi Council. Now." Master Akagi rumbled glaring at the slightly shorter padawan, who grinned sheepishly.  
  
Master Akagi disapproved of the redheaded Sakuragi, mainly because the padawan was rumored to be his equal in telekinesis and Master Akagi did not appreciate the comparison between him and the loud, obnoxious egotistical brat.  
  
Rukawa eyed the now mild Sakuragi suspiciously. There were rumors going around that the Jedi Council was summoning the best Padawan Apprentices to go on a secret mission to the spice mines of Kessel. Although Rukawa did not like to admit it, Sakuragi was one of the best apprentices in the Jedi Order, however Sakuragi was not in the same league as him. Obviously.  
  
"And you, Padawan Rukawa Kaede, will appear before the council after Padawan Sakuragi. Understood?" Master Akagi demanded, looking at the stoic padawan sternly.  
  
Rukawa just gave a short bow of acknowledgement. He watched as Master Akagi led the subdued Sakuragi away. The hotheaded padawan had learned the hard way not to irritate Master Akagi, especially when he had his lightsaber.  
  
"Hn. What an idiot." Rukawa muttered as he started to clean up.  
  
-------------------  
  
Sakuragi Hanamichi fidgeted nervously as he and Master Akagi waited in the lounge adjoining the council meeting room. Apparently the council was interviewing another padawan apprentice inside. Sakuragi stretched out his Force sense and shuddered as he felt the powerful presences of the Jedi Council inside, twelve of the most influential and wise Jedi Masters in the Order and he also recognized his friend who was being interviewed, Padawan Ryota Miyagi.  
  
"Um...Master Akagi?"  
  
"What."  
  
"Why am I here? I didn't do anything! I behaved myself this week. Unless...well... that little accident down at the meditation room was not my fault! It was all Rukawa! He provoked me and then things got sticky—literally, but I cleaned up the mess and the collateral damage wasn't so bad, plus I hear Mitsui is back from the healers and no permanent damage--"  
  
"Idiot Padawan!" Master Akagi whispered loudly, not wanting to disturb the council inside. "It's not about any of your stupid pranks this time. There are more important matters at hand."  
  
"Oh...like what?" Sakuragi asked, fingering his lightsaber. "A mission for me perhaps?"  
  
"Perhaps." The Jedi Master said, calming himself with the Force.  
  
The master and padawan were distracted from further thought by a young man coming out from the main chamber, a short padawan by the name of Ryota Miyagi. Slightly older than Sakuragi, he was training to be a healer under Jedi Master Cighal.  
  
Ryota Miyagi bowed to the Master and bade the two to enter, but as Sakuragi passed him the older boy gave him an encouraging pat on the back.  
  
"Good luck." Miyagi whispered.  
  
"What?" Sakuragi asked, but the older apprentice just winked and gestured to the council room.  
  
"Padawan." Master Akagi said sounding irritated. He was in front of the council room door and waiting for Sakuragi to join him. "Do not keep the Council waiting."  
  
Sakuragi gave a nervous look to Miyagi before hurrying beside Akagi. His mind was filled with apprehension. The only other time he was summoned before the council was when he was five and needed to be tested for ability in the Force. He still remembered the press of minds against his own as the Council members read his emotions, his thoughts, and his future. Not an experience he would like to relive.  
  
"Relax." Master Akagi told the sweaty padawan next to him. "I can feel your anxiety. It will make a bad impression on the council if you broadcast your emotions like that."  
  
"Sorry." Sakuragi said. He took a deep breath and felt the flow of the Force. Tapping into the peace he felt from the life in the planet below he managed to calm down somewhat. Taking a few more breathes to compose himself he nodded slightly.  
  
Jedi Master Akagi opened the doors of the Jedi Council, ushered him into the room and closed the door behind him. Sakuragi nervously stepped into the middle of the round floor. He felt like a Twi'lek slave being sold at a Hutt market. The scrutiny of the twelve was so intense that he tried to focus on something other than the council's stares. He looked around, trying to get his bearings.  
  
Sunset had gone and the light from Coruscant's three moons lit up the council chamber. The clear windows that encased the spherical chamber and showed a perfect view of the big bright city made Sakuragi feel...exposed, open. He did not like the feeling.  
  
"Padawan Sakuragi." The voice of Master Mace Windu rang out, catching his attention.  
  
Sakuragi focused on the Master seated at the right of Master Yoda. Said too be able to read minds as easily as one reads data on a computer screen, Mace Windu was a respected and feared Jedi. "Y-yes Master Windu?"  
  
"Summoned here you have been. A mission shall you take." Master Yoda intoned in his scratchy voice.  
  
Padawan Sakuragi felt overpowered by Master Yoda alone, so big was his Force presence.  
  
"On the outer reaches of The Republic there is a small planet called Kessel, have you heard of it?" Master Windu questioned him.  
  
"Yes Master, it is a prison for the criminals who have been sentenced to hard labor and it also doubles as a mine for the spice glitterstim. Right now it is being run by a Rylothian called Moruth Doole." Sakuragi answered.  
  
"Good. And have you heard of The Maw?"  
  
"A cluster of black holes near Kessel." Sakuragi said promptly, The Maw had always fascinated him.  
  
"There have been reports of a rouge Jedi hiding out on the dark side of Kessel near the prison." Mace Windu continued. "And reports of possibly the same Jedi operating from another base inside the Maw."  
  
"Inside the Maw? Is that possible?" Sakuragi asked surprised.  
  
"Yes, padawan, it is possible to enter the Maw but only for trained Jedi." Master Caaradas answered him. "Or very good pilots" he added.  
  
"So you are sending me out to capture this rouge Jedi? That's great! I am obviously the best choice for such an important mission—"  
  
"Padawan." growled Master Avik Laar from behind him. "Let the council finish."  
  
Master Yoda chuckled at the young, and obviously bigheaded, padawan. "Eager are you for battle but beware arrogance, young padawan."  
  
Sakuragi smiled sheepishly at the little green alien. "Pardon, Masters." He said as he bowed.  
  
"As I was saying." Mace Windu said "We will be sending two teams of Jedi to the outer border near Kessel. One team, led by Jedi Knight Fujima, will go on a reconnaissance mission to the planet Kessel. And one team of Jedi pilots, led by Jedi Knight Maki, will go into the Maw."  
  
"I see." Sakuragi said patiently. He hoped he was going with Jedi Knight Maki.  
  
"Report to the main hall tomorrow and see Maki and Fujima so they can decide whose team you will go with. Understood?"  
  
"Yes Master Windu... but...I have a question."  
  
"Speak it." Master Yoda told him with a smile.  
  
"Why are apprentices and Knights going on this mission and not Jedi Masters?"  
  
"We feel that you need experience in the field before you become Jedi Masters." Mace Windu said shortly with a dismissive nod. "Now go, and please ask Padawan Rukawa Kaede to enter."  
  
Sakuragi bowed to the council and eagerly left, his mind a whirl of thought.  
  
-------------------------  
  
Sakuragi opened the door to the waiting room and found his rival on one of the sofas, asleep.  
  
"Typical."  
  
With a smirk on his face he walked over to the couch and with a purposeful shove sent Padawan Rukawa sprawling on to the floor.  
  
"Oi Jawa butt! The council's waiting!!"  
  
The sleepy padawan who was sprawled out on the floor glared up at the smirking baka. Narrowing his eyes he gathered the Force to himself and sent a telepathic blast of Coruscant garbage stench into Sakuragi's nose. A trick he learned from Sakuragi himself and knew firsthand how hard it was to erase from your memory.  
  
"Awww gods! What in the seven Corellian hells!! Damn you stupid! I can't breathe! Gargh! Clean air...please!" Sakuragi gurgled as he fought the urge to vomit.  
  
Rukawa couldn't stop smirking even as he entered the Council chamber.  
  
A/N: Please comment! 


End file.
